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Mary Lynn…
She hated the room. And boats. And the judgmental old goat who had raised her husband. Mary Lynn burrowed under the covers. Her mother-in-law had turned their dark cave of a cabin into a freezer box. After the old bat fell asleep, she was going to turn the thermostat toward a more reasonable temperature for living things.
The liniment Nana used stank to high heaven of eucalyptus. The inside of Mary’s sinuses burned, even though her mother-in-law was on the other side of the room. They were ignoring each other, which suited Mary just fine. Mary Lynn slid her hand into the pocket of her nightgown. Next to her tissues, the stack of cash she had won this afternoon nestled warmly in her pocket. The soft texture of the worn bills was comforting. Fake hundreds would be crisp and stiff. She was certain.
It was only fair. She was do a win. God had never treated her right. If Jesus had any sense, he would have made her a human being. She and George could have had an entire house full of babies. If that had happened, maybe Nana would have eventually accepted her. George might still be here, right next to her in this bed. Reaching over, she opened her hand on sheets she wished he was sleeping on. Their first bed had been a full, and it had fit them just right. Since he had passed, sleeping had been hard.
Mary could have folded Kennedy into their merry crew. This bed was too empty. The absence of the cozy cats was torture. Mary’s hip ached like it was on fire, a constant low level screaming. Even though she’d smelled weed in the hall already, tickling its way out underneath someone’s door, she didn’t feel brave enough to smoke weed on the ship.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Because she’d already taken an extra pain pill, Mary didn’t reach for the bottle. Giving in to that temptation was dangerous. The sleeping meds would kick in soon, pain or not. Maybe she should just get up and turn the temperature down. Nana might already be asleep. All kinds of evil creatures slept with their eyes open.
Nana placed her open book on her chest and looked over at Mary. “Why on earth are you staring at me?”
“I’m cold.”
The old woman’s lips tightened just a little. “It’s healthier to sleep in a cool room.” Slanting her gaze in a judgmental fashion, she said, “I’d think that someone who made choices like you do would soak up as much air conditioning as you could before you pass from this world.”
“And what have I done now?”
“I saw you in the casino. The bible is very clear on the sin of gambling.”
Mary groaned and threw her covers off. It took her a moment to get up from the bed.
“What are you doing? The temperature is just fine.”
“Unless you want me sleeping in every sweater we both own, you will stay right where you are and we will continue ignoring each other.” Mary limped across the darkened room, lit only by Nana’s side lamp. Once the thermostat was bumped up to 72, she glared at Nana. “I put it in the middle. Don’t touch it.” She limped back toward the bed. “I can’t believe they are shipping us away.”
“It’s not my fault. My house didn’t burn down.”
Mary froze. “Yet. Old woman. Yet.”
“If you are foolish and sinful enough to lose what little money you have, Mary, don’t look to me for help.”
The bed still held the heat of her body, and Mary slid under the thick comforter with relief. At last, the artic blast from the vents was temporarily ceased. “I didn’t lose, I will have you know.”
“They are just trying to trick you. They will tempt you toward Satan and drain your life right into their pocketbooks. Breaking even is still a sin.”
Disgruntled, Mary rolled over onto her side, showing her back to her mother-in-law. The old lady snapped off her bedstand light, and the room became the blackest night. Nestled deep in the covers, Mary pondered one more pain pill. They were just a hand’s reach away.
“Did you win?” Nana asked in the dark.
“Seven hundred dollars. Now go to sleep.” Mary’s fingers closed around the bottle.